AGY-6847 | Southern Cross University

Full description

Southern Cross University (SCU) was established on 1 January 1994 by the Southern Cross University Act 1993. (1)

The University had its origins in the Lismore Teachers' College, which commenced in February 1970 (2), becoming a College of Advanced Education in September 1971. (3) In 1973, it was renamed the Northern Rivers College of Advanced Education. (4) On 17 July 1989, under the University of New England Act 1989, the College became part of a new “university network” as the University of New England, Northern Rivers. (5)

In May 1992, the Board of Governors of the University of New England (UNE) formally requested the Minister to prepare legislation to establish separate universities at Armidale and Lismore. (6) The report of a Joint Ministerial Advisory Group, appointed to examine the implications of dismantling the network, recommended the establishment of two universities (7) and, following subsequent advice from an Implementation Advisory Panel, the NSW Cabinet decided to repeal the 1989 Act and establish a new university comprised of UNE, Northern Rivers and part of the Joint Educational Project at Coffs Harbour. (8)

On 1 January 1994, the University of New England Act 1993 repealed the previous Act, (9) dismantling the university network and, on the same day, Southern Cross University was established under its own legislation. (1)

The functions of the University under the Act included:
- the provision of educational facilities of university standard, having particular regard to the needs of the north coast region of the State;
- the preservation, extension and dissemination of knowledge through scholarship, research, creative works, consultancy and internal and external teaching; and
- the conferring of the degrees of Bachelor, Master and Doctor and the awarding of diplomas and other certificates and awards. (10)

The Act established a Council, the governing authority of the University, comprising two members elected by the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly; two members nominated by the Council of the University of NSW; the presiding or deputy presiding member of the Academic Board; six members with at least one experienced in or associated with each of the categories of education or the arts, technology, industry, commerce or industrial relations, the north coast region of NSW, or who practised a profession; two members elected from the academic staff; one member elected from the non-academic staff; a student of the University; and the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor as official members. (11)

Under Section 7 of the Southern Cross University Act 1993, the University was to collaborate with the University of NSW (UNSW) in the development of its academic programs until the Minister otherwise directed. (12) This arrangement ended with a direction by the Minister on 25 October 1999. Section 7 was subsequently formally repealed and the two UNSW Council representatives replaced by SCU graduates nominated by the SCU Council. (13)

As the formation of the full Council under the Act was not finalised until 2 September 1994, (14) an Interim Council was appointed from 1 January to 1 September 1994. (15)

The Council established a number of boards and committees to deal with specific areas of University business. The Academic Board, constituted under the Act, (16) was the principal advisory body to the Council on academic matters and was responsible for the development of the University’s academic policies and programs. (17)

In 1994, SCU had campuses in Lismore and Coffs harbour and University Centres at Murwillumbah, Grafton and Port Macquarie. (18) Courses were offered across six faculties: Arts, Business and Computing, Education, Work and Training, Law and Criminal Justice, Health Sciences, and Resource Science and Management, and student numbers exceeded 7,200. (19) By 2014, its anniversary of 20 years as an independent university, SCU's student population was 14,669. (20)

With the addition of Port Macquarie, which received campus status in May 1996, (21) and the Gold Coast Tweed campus, which was established in February 2002, (22) the University had four campuses by 2002. The Port Macquarie facility appears to have lost its campus status in 2002 due to a lack of students. (23) In February 2010, the Foundation Building of a new Gold Coast campus was opened. (24)

From January 1997, the University adopted a new structure with the academic program being delivered by 15 schools: Business; Commerce; Contemporary Arts; Education; Exercise Science and Sport Management; Humanities, Media and Asian Studies; Human Services; Law and Justice; Management and Marketing; Multimedia and Information Technology; Natural and Complementary Medicine; Nursing and Health Care Practices; Resource Science and Management; Social and Workplace Development; and Tourism and Hospitality Management. (25) At this time, the University established three new Colleges: the College of Indigenous Australian Peoples; the Graduate College of Management; and the College of Industry and Professional Education as cross-university entities such as the existing Graduate Research College. (26)

In 2001, a further reorganisation saw the School structure combined into three divisions: Arts, Business, and Health and Applied Sciences. (27)

From 2006, following an external review, a new structure reduced the number of schools with the divisions becoming Faculties. (28) By the end of 2007, the schools and colleges had been consolidated into two faculties: Business and Law and Arts and Sciences. (29)

In 2011, the University adopted a flatter structure, dispensing with the faculties. The academic organisation comprised seven schools and a college reporting to the Deputy Vice Chancellor. (30)

On the 27 February 2016, the Council of the University passed a governing body resolution in accordance with the Act to adjust the composition of the Council to contain: three official members, two Ministerially appointed members, six Council appointed members, two elected academic staff members, one elected non-academic staff member and one student elected member.(31)

By 2016, the academic organisation comprised six schools and two colleges: the School of Arts and Social Sciences; the School of Business and Tourism, including Hotel Schools in Sydney and Melbourne; the School of Education; the School of Environment, Science and Engineering, including the National Marine Science Centre; the School of Health and Human Sciences; the School of Law and Justice; and SCU College and the Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples. (32)

By 18 Feburary 2021, The university completed a change program with Four new Faculties of Health; Education; Science and Engineering and Business, Law and Arts were established, replacing the previous structure of six academic schools. (33)

Endnotes
1. Southern Cross University Act 1993 (Act No. 69, 1993); NSW Government Gazette No.138, 17 December 1993, p.7281.
2. A Brief History of SCU, http://scu.edu.au_about_index.php_3 (accessed 26 February 2016).
3. NSW Government Gazette No.95, 27 August 1971, p.3299.
4. Southern Cross University Annual Report 1994, p.9.
5. University of New England Act 1989 (Act No. 67, 1989), s.6; NSW Government Gazette No. 85, 6 July 1990, p.6237.
6. University of New England Annual Report 1992, p.16.
7. Ibid., pp.16-17.
8. University of New England Annual Report 1993, p.21.
9. University of New England Act 1993 (Act No. 68, 1993), s.32; NSW Government Gazette No.138, 17 December 1993, p.7282.
10. Southern Cross University Act 1993 (Act No. 69, 1993), s.6.
11. Ibid., s.10.
12. Ibid., s.7.
13. Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No 2) 1999 (Act No.85, 1999), Sch 1.23 [1] and [2].
14. NSW Government Gazette No.102, 5 Aug 1994, p. 4144.
15. Southern Cross University Annual Report 1994, p.9.
16. Southern Cross University Act 1993 (Act No. 69, 1993), s.15.
17. Southern Cross University Annual Report 1994, p.9.
18. op. cit.
19. Ibid., p.12.
20. Southern Cross University Annual Report 2014, p.3.
21. Southern Cross University Annual Report 1996, p.1.
22. Southern Cross University Annual Report 2001, p.6.
23. Australian Universities Quality Agency, Report of an Audit of Southern Cross University, October 2003, p.31 http://teqsa.gov.au/sites/default/files/auditreport_scu_2003.pdf (accessed 3 March 2016).
24. Southern Cross University Annual Report 2010, p.4.
25. Southern Cross University Annual Report 1997, pp.7, 17-60.
26. Ibid., p.7.
27. Southern Cross University Annual Report 2001, pp.6, 29.
28. Southern Cross University Annual Report 2005, p.19.
29. Southern Cross University Annual Report 2007, pp.24-31.
30. Southern Cross University Annual Report 2011, p.48.
31. Universities Governing Bodies (Southern Cross University) Order 2015 (No 97 2015), NSW legislation Website, 27 February 2015
32. Southern Cross University Academic Schools, http://scu.edu.au/about/index.php/15 (accessed 3 March 2016).
33. Southern Cross University Annual Report 2021, p.4